The Definition of Living
by geminisfolklore
Summary: [On Hiatus] Kai Parker has lived a hard life, and he's hardly innocent. Yet, there's always been one person who's chosen to see the good that's buried in him. Skylar Westbrooke might just be the only good thing in his life. She just also might be the worst thing in his life. Kai/OC Pairing! AU to canon! (The Kai Parker Origin Story/Redemption Arc you didn't know you needed.)


**Full A/N at the bottom!**

**I do not own TVD or any of the characters in this story, other than Skylar Westbrooke. All rights go to the original owner.**

* * *

_1988_

_Like clockwork, his mother asked him how his day was. Every day after school, Kai Parker walked into the house, and he heard his mother's words drifting across the room towards him. And every day, he had the same reply. Which, is to say, he didn't. Reply, that is. He knew that his mother didn't really care how his day had been, and so he had no interest in sharing the answer with her._

_Though if you were wondering, it had __not_ _been a good day. Normally, Kai actually preferred school to being at home - less people who thought he was damaged. However, his world decided to tilt on its axis, presenting new problems. Perhaps new wasn't quite the right word, however, since almost all problems that Kai faced could be summed up in two little words; one annoying person._

_Skylar Westbrooke._

_They'd known each other since they were in diapers, and when they'd been younger, they'd even managed to get along. Being the family disgrace will do that to you, and they bonded over the fact that their own parents hated them. However, then the changes in their relationship came, and through that came all the ways that Skylar Westbrooke could ruin his life. They had to be in the hundreds by now, if Kai were to keep a running talley of all the instances his life had been upended by her. _

_Skylar was the most annoying person that Kai had ever met, and that was saying something, seeing as he was Kai Parker. Quite annoying, if you asked anyone who knew him. But somehow, Skylar managed to find a way underneath his skin. Everything she did managed to find a way to make him annoyed. Even things she __didn't_ _do annoyed him. Like, today for example._

_As a teenager, Kai had needs. He wanted to date, and go out with a girl. (He also probably wouldn't mind doing something else with said girl, but he could dream for now. Dating was the first step). He was sitting in his biology lab that day, chatting with his lab partner - Brianna Something-or-Another. Things were going great, until Kai asked her out. She said no. Brianna didn't even hesitate. Now, Kai knew this couldn't be because of his looks (he was very handsome, and he knew it). Which meant that something else had to have made her say no. And Kai was determined to know what that something was._

"_Was it something I said?" Kai asked her, really wondering if he was going about this flirting thing the wrong way._

"_No," Brianna said, shrugging softly, her eyes flickering down to the ground between them. "I just don't really make a habit of dating other girls' boyfriends."_

_Kai shook his head. He wasn't dating anyone - that was the problem, and why he had resorted to flirting with Brianna. She was known for being the easiest girl in the class. He had no girlfriend - not really. He hadn't even had his first kiss yet (though he was in no way ready to admit that out loud). Of course, he knew that he couldn't date to marry. His parents had much different plans for him, which was very upsetting. But, just because his parents had plans didn't meant that Kai had a girlfriend. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Bri. I'm not...I'm not dating anyone."_

"_Maybe dating is the wrong word, then. Haven't you seen the school paper? Your parents called in for a slot. A congratulations advertisement. You know, on your engagement?" _

"_My __what__?" Kai said, before standing up, and walking hurriedly up to the front of the room. Sitting on the edge of the teacher's desk was a copy of the newspaper. He grabbed it, flipping roughly through it, until his eyes landed on one specific piece of the paper. Brianna had been right. There, in big black letters, read the ten words that were going to ruin Kai Parker's life forever. _

_**Congratulations to Skylar Westbrooke and Kai Parker on their engagement**__. _

_That girl really was going to be the absolute undoing of Kai Parker._

* * *

_Present Day_

"Any idea on the date, Cinderella?" Kai's voice floated over to the girl. The blonde was on her knees, scrubbing blood off the floor from the latest incident of theirs. They always had days like this - where the fighting between them became an all out war, and could be seen as highly violent. There had been a few times she'd snapped his neck, and a few times he'd stabbed her. Neither one stayed mad at the other for it for very long, though. Which, she supposed, was a good thing. This place would be awfully boring if they didn't have each other to talk to.

"If you make another comment like that, it will be your expiration date. I think today's method can be death by sponge in throat. It would look quite nice engraved on a tombstone, don't you think?" The blonde said, finally looking up at him. Her eyes met his, and for a moment, they stared at each other. Almost a challenge of power. But then, Kai's mouth slid into a huge smile, and she couldn't help but smile back. Kai had a way of wearing her down like that. He liked to joke it was his undeniable charm. She said it was the fact that he was the only friend she could have in this place.

The boy chuckled, holding his hands up in surrender. "Someone's feisty today."

"Someone's rude today."

Skylar Westbrooke had a way of getting on people's nerves, and she knew it. However, the retaliation of that was that Kai seemed to know how to push every single one of her own buttons. And he did so - repeatedly, and often all at once when he could. He really was rather annoying, although the cute smile and boyish charm (which Skylar would never admit to liking out loud) did make up for it. Even if half the time she wanted to hug him, and the other half she wanted to strangle him.

Skylar stood up, striding over to the bookshelf, where she kept a makeshift calendar. It wasn't exact, and she'd long given up on knowing the exact date. But, every once in a while, Kai liked to ask, just to know how long they'd been in here, and so Skylar would keep track. If only for Kai's piece of mind (which he didn't have much of). "I think, if my measure is correct, the date is - ah, yes - May 4, 1994." Skylar said teasingly, smirking over at Kai. He glared back at her, and she raised an eyebrow. "What? I'm not wrong."

"You're not right either, Skylar. I'd suggest changing your answer."

"Now look who's feisty."

"Just tell me the date."

"Okay, okay!" Skylar said, blowing out a sigh of air, and laughing a bit. She studied the calendar again for a moment, before she had an answer. "I think its sometime in the fall of 2015. Give or take a season or two." Skylar said, setting the calendar down, and turning to look over at him. She could see the emotions flickering across his face - and she knew them well, because they often found their way into Skylar's mind as well. She smiled softly as she looked at him, before clearing her throat some. "You alright?"

"I just can't believe it's been twenty-one years. That's almost as long as I was alive on the other earth," Kai said softly.

"It's not really another earth, you know? Just a parallel universe."

Kai gave her a look, but didn't say anything. Skylar got the hint anyways. She wasn't helping by correcting him. Which, in fairness, she probably should have recognized without mercilessly teasing him anyways. She averted her gaze, looking down at the ground, and muttering a quick apology.

"Do you ever think we're going to get out of here, Sky?"

"After what we did?" Skylar asked, her gaze flickering up to look at him, before she shook her head carefully. "No. Why would anyone want to save two murderers?"

Kai nodded some, before moving to sit over on the couch. After a moment, Skylar followed him over, taking a seat next to him, and laying her head down on his shoulder. She felt his own head rest against hers, and she closed her eyes. It was the moments like these that she learned to cherish. Kai was a madman - a sociopath. Skylar was insane - one psychotic break away from the same destiny. But, every once in a while, a soft moment broke through to the surface. Like right now - just sitting, and holding one another in their company.

"Do you want to do something today? Maybe try to get some fun and excitement going?" Kai asked her finally.

Skylar thought for a moment, before letting her gaze flicker up to his own. "And do what? We've done everything in this prison world. Multiple times, for that matter."

Kai nodded. She did have a point. However, as he looked at her, a mischievous grin crept onto his face. "We could do our favorite activity."

Skylar's smile mimicked his. "I'll meet you there. Just let me take care of the sponge and blood." She said, pushing herself off of the couch. She heard, rather than saw, Kai get up as well. And, as she leaned back down to start doing the last touches on the stain, she felt something hit her in the back. It was light, and when Skylar turned to see what it was, she couldn't help but smile.

Kai's shirt.

* * *

_Timeskip_

Patterns being traced into her hip are what stirred her awake. She felt his fingertips pressing against her skin, and she smiled the tiniest bit, the underneaths of her eyelids flickering, before she opened her eyes. Kai was looking down into her, smiling as well. "You're awake." he said softly, gazing down at her, his fingertips still tracing small designs into her skin.

"Great observation, Kai," Skylar said, smiling some, and closing her eyes again. The two were quickly enveloped by silence, just content to lay there for a moment. Their relationship and dynamic was a complicated one - one that neither of them knew how to interpret, exactly. However, Skylar knew that if it came down to it, they would protect each other. She didn't need anything more than that. Not that there would ever be a need of protecting, given that danger couldn't find them. Not in this place.

"Do you think you'll ever get sick of me? Take off for the other side of this prison world, and leave me for the rats?" Kai asked.

"I think about it every day," Skylar quipped softly, before looking up at him. She smiled softly, before leaning up and pressing a very soft kiss into his jawline. "It doesn't mean I'll actually do it though. I happen to enjoy your company about eighty percent of the time."

"Only eighty percent? I think I'm going to have to increase my numbers somehow."

Skylar laughed softly. "Oh? And how do you plan on-" but she was cut off. There was a noise - unmistakeable. Both of them quickly sat up, scrambling out of bed. Kai pulled on his shorts quickly, as Skylar wrapped the bedding around her tighter, before they both staggered over to the window. The sound had been exactly what they thought it was.

A car door.

Standing next to it were two strangers - a boy and a girl.

"Someone's in the prison world with us," Skylar breathed out softly, before exchanging a glance with Kai.

This was definitely something unexpected.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you so much for checking out the first chapter of my new story - The Definition of Living! I've loved Kai Parker ever since he first graced my screen, and with the reappearance of him coming up in Legacies this season, I decided to finally write (or rather, rewrite, since i published this first chapter once before on an old account) the Kai-centric story that I've always dreamed of. **

**This will serve as a Season 6 AU, that is a Kai origin story as well as a redemption arc. It will be heavily romance-filled, particularly between him and the OC, Skylar Westbrooke. However, I will still be creating drama and plots in typical TVDu fashion! I hope you enjoy!**

**Please leave me a review it would mean a lot to me!**

**I'm so excited to dive more into this story; I cannot wait to interact with you all!**

**-Carey **


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